


Sunset Sea

by Tayani



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akechi Goro Lives, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Study, Feelings, Late game spoilers, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Unrequited Love, black mask - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-11-01 18:34:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17872601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tayani/pseuds/Tayani
Summary: Drifting on a small lifeboat among submerged buildings, two boys open up to one another.In a world that could tear them apart at any moment, it's better to speak out their feelings than to regret it later, isn't it?





	Sunset Sea

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dcuros](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dcuros/gifts).



Akira had to give it to Shido - no matter how vile, disgusting and downright  _ awful  _ the man and his whole Palace was, there was a strange atmosphere of both peace and beauty to sailing in the perpetual sunset, through the quiet, flooded world. 

The orange-red light was soft and warm; the steady wind tousled his hair as the raven sat down in a little lifeboat the team had helped him lower from the deck. No one thought it would be a good idea to stay on the ark, what with stray Shadows venturing everywhere. 

Here, with the makeshift sail flapping in the light breeze, with nothing but submerged buildings in sight, they were safe. Akira looked down, at the unconscious boy whose head he rested on his lap. The black, jagged, helmet-like mask was broken, and his face was fully visible. Goro Akechi looked peaceful in his sleep. Peaceful, and almost alarmingly childlike. This wasn’t a face of a crazed killer, or of a defeated, broken boy who has so very nearly sacrificed his life for them. Akira’s hand moved down, resting over the hole in Goro’s suit, right under his heart; a hole through which one could see only healthy, unmarred skin. Morgana’s healing skills were incredible, but even then Goro needed a miracle for the bullet to have missed his heart like it did. 

They had pulled him away, all of them, running through the corridors of the ship that were all of a sudden crawling with Shadows. And then, they were out on the main deck, free and breathing in fresh, cool air; and they had Goro there with them, barely alive, in need of help and still unconscious. 

It was Akira’s idea for the rest of the Phantom Thieves to leave the two of them. They couldn’t leave the Metaverse while Goro was unconscious, he reasoned; how would they explain carrying a well known celebrity around the Diet building in the real world? And then, the rest of the Thieves were tired, exhausted even, after the long heist. He’ll be fine, Akira had said. Goro won’t try anything; and even if he did, Joker was more than a match for him. 

And so here they were, hours later; floating on the quiet, peaceful ocean, over sunken Japan. Akira looked up towards the perpetually setting sun. He could feel its warmth on his cheeks; it almost made him smile. 

Goro had stirred; and he heard a gasp, and for the next few moments the two boys struggled wordlessly, with Goro’s lithe body twisting and turning, trying to jerk up, while Akira held him down, trying to keep him still and calm him down.

“Shhh…” He said, desperately, watching Goro’s eyes dart unseeingly from side to side, like a trapped rabbit trying to escape. “Shush, you’re okay, you’re alright, Crow. You’re safe. We’ve pulled you out, there are no Shadows here to hurt you. You’re alright. Shhh…” 

Gradually, these eyes, wide with panic, settled down on Akira’s own, unmasked face. Gradually, the jerky movement stopped, and Goro ceased to struggle; opting instead on staring up at Akira, allowing himself to settle down. There was confusion in his eyes now; and then, slowly, he looked around, taking in the place, the situation they were in. Under Akira’s careful hand, his heartbeat was gradually slowing down. 

“...where are we?” Goro rasped, his body slowly relaxing. He must have been exhausted, Akira thought, as his hand moved up to thread through the brunet’s soft hair. God, how long had he wanted to do this? 

“Still Shido’s Palace I’m afraid. We didn’t want to carry you out whilst unconscious.” He explained curtly. Goro frowned. 

“The others…?” 

“Left.” Akira said. “I offered to stay and wait for you to come to.” 

“How generous.” Goro sneered; and then...

“...you should have left me there.” 

His voice was quiet; without the former bite. It broke Akira’s heart to hear it; to see the silent resignation settle on Goro’s features. 

“No.” He said, his voice unnaturally sharp. “You’re a Phantom Thief. You’re one of us. We don’t leave anyone behind.”

“I tried to kill you. All of you! Twice!”

“Yeah, you suck at that.” Despite everything, Akira felt himself grin. Goro was staring up at him again, his mouth open; in the kind of silent indignation, as if he had too many words to say, and they ended up blocking his throat. 

This was just as well. Because right now, Akira really,  _ really _ didn’t want him to speak. He closed his eyes, feeling once more the painful lurch of his heart when he thought, just for a moment, Goro had left them, had left  _ him _ . When just for a second, he was sure Crow had died, had sacrificed himself to protect them, in the last, senseless act of defiance towards his fate. Slowly, feeling his breath catch in his throat, Akira leaned down; pressing a single, soft kiss to Goro’s forehead.

“Please don’t leave me.” He whispered. “Please don’t make me mourn for you. I wouldn’t be able to take losing you, Goro.”

Goro was looking at him; he could feel the stare, the sheer incomprehension. ‘ _ He really doesn’t understand’ _ , Akira thought as he straightened up. ‘ _ He really doesn’t realize why someone would mourn him _ .’

“...why would you say such a thing..? For someone like me?” Goro finally managed; and it was yet another stab through Akira’s heart, to hear him doubt himself so much. He didn’t reply. He didn’t need to - all it really took was a single look. He could see Goro’s face as comprehension dawned on him; could see his cheeks flare red as he looked away.

“...you can’t be. You’re lying. To yourself, if not to me.” 

“I’d never lie to you about such a thing, Goro.” Akira said quietly. “And I know how I feel, too. I’m not lying to either one of us.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“Possibly.” Akira smiled a humourless smile, looking away as well. “Do you think you could love an idiot, one day?”

Another stunned silence; one the raven was expecting. He sighed quietly. For someone who was so insistent on talking about fate making them meet, on constantly seeking out Akira’s company and talking at length about how much he was enjoying it… Goro really was a rather oblivious person, wasn’t he? Then again, perhaps it wasn’t that. Perhaps it was just the simple fact that he was unable to comprehend how anyone, in any circumstances could feel this way towards someone like  _ him _ …

“You don’t need to reply.” Akira said quietly, once the silence stretched too tense between them. “Now, or ever... if you don’t feel like it. I’ll get you out of here for now, and I’ll protect you. The best I can. And maybe one day, once you feel like you have something more before you than a quest for revenge that’ll only get you killed... maybe you’ll look at me the same way I see you.”

He pulled out his phone, ready to get them away from here. In this Palace, on this quiet boat in the middle of the ocean of Shido’s cognition, they were dangerously close. It was too easy to talk; to reveal that what he didn’t want to reveal before. Then again… after Goro had almost died right in front of his eyes, was there any point in hiding anything any longer? The other emotion Akira could recognize, in these few, dreadful seconds he thought Goro was dead, was regret. Regret for not reaching out sooner; for not trying hard enough. Regret for not being able to save him. Regret for not telling the only boy he had ever fallen in love with how he felt towards him. 

A hand in a cruel, metal-studded glove appeared in his line of sight, grabbing his wrist. Goro’s hold was weak, but he still effectively stopped Akira from taking out his phone. The brunet’s eyes were still confused, but determined as they looked up at him.

“...I don’t understand.” He said quietly. “Explain.” 

“What do you want me to explain, Goro?” Akira laughed his humourless laughter again. “That I have fallen for you, even though I knew what you were planning? Even though I knew from the start all you gave me, all the interest, all the little smiles and sweet remarks, was just in order to trick me, manipulate me? That I tried and tried to stomp these feelings away, and never could, and the only thing this resulted in was me pushing you even further away when what I should have done was reach out? Or that today, I saw you die before my eyes, and it had almost made me wish I had died instead?” 

Akira looked away, blinking his eyes rapidly. He shook his head, pulling his hand away. 

“We’re going home.” He said firmly, still not looking at Goro. He could feel his eyes on himself anyway, piercing him, asking for explanations that weren’t there. Akira pulled his hand away. 

“Home.” Goro murmured, right before Akira was able to press the button. And then, to the raven’s surprise, he saw him smile and close his eyes. It was a strange smile; it looked different from any other he had seen on Goro’s lips. 

“I don’t understand.” The brunet repeated. “But perhaps I could try to. I have died once already, after all; I’m living on a borrowed time. You know… I have never before thought of what might happen  _ after _ . After Shido… after all of this, all of my plans have finally came to an end. Perhaps trying to understand you is as good a task as any other.” 

“...what are you saying?” Akira asked. His voice was quiet; as if he was afraid of breaking the moment, of frightening away the faint hope the brunet’s words had awakened inside him. Goro opened his eyes and looked up at him.

“Take me home, Akira.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Bloo for betaing this for me at record speed and to Curos for coming up with this idea in the first place <3 
> 
> This fic has been inspired by [this amazing art.](https://twitter.com/oriha_62/status/1093807962781413381?s=19)
> 
> If you like my stories, you can find me on twitter [@mikan_writings](https://twitter.com/mikan_writings) and/or tumblr at [mikan_writings](https://mikan-writings.tumblr.com/)!


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